Bangkok--19 Sep--AIT
Thailand is moving towards a path of an innovative economy which encompasses creative, knowledge based and green economies. The country’s eleventh plan envisions the creation of a happy society based on equality, fairness and resilience. This was stated by Dr. Chonchanok Viravan, Advisor, AMATA Science City Project, while delivering an extra mural lecture on “Creating Innovative Opportunities to Foster Innovative Economy in Thailand” at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 15 September 2011.
Differentiating between inventions and innovation, Dr. Viravan remarked that while people can invent ‘useless’ things, innovation is always useful. She highlighted that the Amata Science City concept, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) enterprise envisioned for Rayong, Thailand, which includes AIT as a key partner, will be a driving force in achieving the vision of an innovative economy for the country.
Development of a creative economy fuelled by green innovation as a key to prosperous sustainable development will be a main principle of the soon-to-be Amata Science City, she said. “We want to push the economy of Thailand upward through innovation,” she remarked, referring a recent IFC and World Bank international ranking on the ease of doing business, in which Thailand placed 19 out of 183 countries surveyed.
Acknowledging that many AIT graduates already fit that target profile, she said, “It’s important that we work to find ways to keep AIT graduates who want to stay and work here in Thailand.” She added that most companies in Thailand prefer to hire undergraduate students as interns and the Science City concept will help harness this trend in a more efficient manner.
Prof. Joydeep Dutta, Vice President for Academic Affairs, welcomed Dr. Viravan stating that graduate institutions play a critical role in enhancing innovation. Thailand is moving from labor intensive to capital intensive industry, and now it is in a phase where innovation can be integrated to the final product. The country will have to follow pathway and roots shown by Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei and China, he said. Ms. Izel Ann Mojado-Dante, Head, Administration, presented a souvenir to Dr. Virapan on behalf of AIT.
Photo caption: Dr. Chonchanok Viravan